Bible Verse Lookup
Rev 13:4,12
Chapter 13
4
They bowed before the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they bowed before the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who can oppose it?”
12
This second beast is entirely under the control of the first one and enjoys its authority. So, it causes the world and its inhabitants to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound has been healed.
Commentaries
The Two Beasts.
This chapter is filled with complex animal symbolism (beasts, leopards, horns…). It condemns evil (presented in apocalyptic language), which the author himself is experiencing in Patmos and which, as an inspired prophet, he perceives unfolding through the persecution of the Church.
The chapter concludes with a call for wise reflection. According to the rules of “gematria,” the number 666, when read in Hebrew characters, translates to the phrase ‘Nero Caesar.’ This alludes to the fact that the demonic power of the beast was embodied in Nero, the persecutor of Christians. The Apocalypse condemns a brutal persecution but also offers a message of hope. The number does not reach the total of exactly 777 (three sevens). There will thus be a severe persecution, but it will be partial and temporary. The Christian community must remain steadfast in its faith and perseverance.